Summary
TheStar Warsuniverse continues to grow across film, animation, books, video games, and now also live-action television series on Disney+. It all began with the success of The Mandalorian, at the time hailed as one of the best new live-action installments in Star Wars canon since the original trilogy.
The Mandalorian then spawned many new TV series exploring various characters across different timelines in the galaxy that can also be considered more like spin-offs. Some capture the same magic, others don’t. If you’re looking to dive into some of those shows and want to prepare yourself, here’s where they stand.
Spoilers for some of the Star Wars shows below
Updated on June 17, 2025, by Dennis Moiseyev:The Acolyte is well nearing the end of its first-season run, and there are lots of new twists and great additions to Star Wars canon because of it. See our thoughts here on this new live-action show and where it stands among the other entries.
6Obi-Wan Kenobi
The continuation of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s and Anakin Skywalker’s story after Revenge of the Sith was one of the most exciting and highly anticipated Star Wars events, but it ultimately fell flat and left you with the feeling that there was no need for this miniseries at all. The main part to blame is the story direction, which adds nothing significant to either character (besides another rematch) and tries too hard to capitalize on Jedi: Fallen Order’s success.
While interesting to check in with familiar characters Owen Lars, a very young Luke and Leia, Bail Organa, and even the force ghost of Qui-Gon Jinn,the Inquisitors were a more intriguing aspectthat overshadowed the focus of Obi-Wan, especially Moses Ingram’s phenomenal performance as Reva Sevander, or the Third Sister.
The Fortress Inquisitorius rescue wasa set piece taken directly from Fallen Order, the underwater dive to the fortress, using the Force to crack the glass in an underwater chamber, and the interrogation all clearly ripped from it. What could’ve been a solid and emotional character study of Obi-Wan following Anakin’s betrayal, turned into unnecessary fan service that made you more invested in Reva’s redemption story over the titular figure.
5The Book Of Boba Fett
The Book of Boba Fett was the first misstep in Star Wars live-action TV after the overwhelming response to The Mandalorian, and it honestly should’ve been called ‘The Book of Boba and Mando.’ While the show was marketed as giving Boba Fett his own time to shine, it was pretty much a direct continuation of The Mandalorian and could’ve easily been counted as an official third season.
There were direct storylines from the end of Season Two that were explored further in The Book of Boba Fett, like Grogu’s Jedi training in the care of Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano. In fact, entire episodes made you feel you’re still in The Mandalorian rather than Boba Fett’s spin-off, which isn’t a bad thing, but also not ideal for the premise.
Regarding the premise, it started really compelling and dove deeper into Tatooine’s underworld surrounding the power struggle and treachery between crime syndicates, as well as Boba Fett’s goal to become a major player. It might not keep your interest from start to finish, but it comes with some cool moments and characters, including the live-action debut ofbounty hunters Cad Bane and Black Krrsantan.
4The Acolyte
Despite all the alarming toxicity spewed by the fanbase, The Acolyte is a compelling piece of Star Wars canon.Set in the era of the High Republic, 100 years before Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace, you follow a crisis befalling the Jedi Order that they could never have prepared for. A group of Jedi masters are suddenly being killed one after another by an Acolyte training under a new Sith Lord.
The actor behind The Good Place’s Jason Mendoza and Top Gun: Maverick’s Fritz, Manny Jacinto, is Qimir, the Acolyte’s companion and who is later revealed to be her Sith master, dubbed ‘Smilo Ren’ due to his outfit resembling the Knights of Ren, especially Kylo Ren, and a creepy mask that looks like the 2012 Smiley horror film character. Also,‘Darth Teeth’ is another funny one some fans prefer.
As far as Siths go,Qimir is very powerful and a fearsome additionto the Star Wars universe, ashe can levitate, Force push, and slaughter a whole group of Jedis quite easily. And the best part is he has armor made of cortosis, a metal whose properties can briefly disrupt lightsabers and make them short-circuit.
It’s only ever been seen in the comics, but now cortosis metal is officially debuting canonically in live-action for the first time!
This was all put on display in what can be considered one of the most epic and riveting continuous lightsaber battles since the prequel films, where no main Jedi character was safe (including, sadly, fan-favorites Yord Fandar and Jecki Lon), a suspenseful Game of Thrones-caliber moment for the show. Seriously, The Jedi body count in The Acolyte is probably the highest it’ll getsince before Order 66.
Amandla Stenberg brilliantly plays the dual parts of Mae and Osha,two twin sisters born out of the Forcefrom a coven of witches hailing from the planet Brendok and both conflicted with their past trauma and their loyalty to the Jedi Order, with Osha being a former Padawan. Squid Game actor Lee Jung-jae’s performance brings Jedi Master Sol to the same iconic status as Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn.
The Acolyte also continues the Star Wars worldbuilding tradition of introducing new planets, species, and characters, and it’s also wonderful to see new diverse storylines being explored,including major progress for LGBTQ+ representationin both the casting and characters.
3The Mandalorian
The Mandalorian was a breakthrough for Star Wars. Not only was it a much-needed boost to restore faith in the franchise after the mixed responses to the sequel trilogy, but it’s also the first-ever live-action TV show that could live up to the storytelling and world-building of the animated Clone Wars and Rebels series.Throw in a cute youngling version of Yoda named Groguas a sidekick for the lead bounty hunter played by Pedro Pascal, and you’ve got a recipe for success.
It elevated the Star Wars live-action experience and had a balanced formula of Grogu and Din Djarin taking on new adventures every episode and meeting new characters while being a part of an overarching plot that came together toward the end of the season. The action sequences, characters, set pieces, and atmosphere are memorable and entertaining. Giancarlo Esposito has another convincing villain in Moff Gideon.
Were it only the first two seasons, The Mandalorian would be placed much higher on this ranking. What bumps this entry down is the dreadful third season, which was a hot mess of a struggle to get through, losing all sense of direction and juggling many different plotlines at once that made it feel lackluster.
2Ahsoka
The standalone Ahsoka series was all we could’ve hoped for and more, and a major improvement over Obi-Wan, The Book of Boba Fett, and The Mandalorian Season 3. This is also the perfect example of fan service not impeding on the narrative, but instead elevating it organically without feeling too forced or cringy.
We getLars Mikkelsen’s return as Grand Admiral Thrawnin live-action, a host of new Sith and Nightsister characters, the fan favorites from Star Wars Rebels, Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker, a live-action flashback to a young Ahsoka and Rexduring the World Between Worlds segment, and an opening that nods to A New Hope.
The pacing kept the mystery and suspense, the performances were Emmy-caliber, and Ahsoka also broke new ground for female characters in the live-action realm of Star Wars. It had the first-ever lightsaber duels between characters Sabine Wren and Shin Hati as well as Ahsoka and Morgan Elsbeth. The best part is that you can enjoy it without ever having seen a single episode of The Mandalorian, Star Wars Rebels, or The Clone Wars.
1Andor
Andor is a Star Wars TV drama that doesn’t feel like it belongs on Disney+, as its quality can be compared more to the likes of content you’ll find on Apple TV+, HBO Max, Hulu, or Prime Video. The colors, cinematography, along with writing that delivers political intrigue, high society, espionage, heist thriller, prison escape, investigative mystery, andone of the most ruthless villains in Dedra Meeroare just unlike anything in Star Wars.
It’s a truly remarkable story that keeps you invested in so many characters that all feel important while grounding the plot to Cassian Andor and his journey in the events leading up to Rogue One. Mon Mothma, Syril Karn, Dedra Meero, Luthen Rael, Bix Caleen, Vel Sartha, Cinta Kaz, and Maarva Andor are each outstanding and give such depth to the story.
If you thought Rogue One was a gripping piece of Star Wars sci-fi, Andor has another thing coming. What starts as a hunt for the whereabouts of his sister spins into a crime, espionage, and political tale for Cassian Andor, all leading up to a suspenseful confrontation with Imperial forces on his home planet of Ferrix, where the seeds of rebellion are sowed.
